The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle with a drive device which has at least one internal combustion engine as a drive machine, wherein a drive torque requested by a driver of the vehicle is implemented by operating at least the internal combustion engine on a roadway.
In addition, the invention relates to a device for carrying out the method described above.
The drive devices described above are known from the prior art. Conventional drive devices comprise an internal combustion engine, which is embodied as a gasoline engine or as a diesel engine. Such internal combustion engines, in particular if they are equipped with a turbocharger, require a little time before a requested torque is provided. Particularly the so-called turbo lag frequently leads to a noticeable delay between requesting a torque by actuating a gas pedal and the torque actually transmitted to the drive wheels by the internal combustion engine. Important time is thereby lost in particular when initiating an overtaking process, said time being necessary or at least advantageous for carrying out the overtaking process in a timely manner.
So-called hybrid drive devices also have at least one electric machine, which can be operated as a generator or as a motor, in addition to an internal combustion engine in order to implement a desired torque on a roadway. A drive torque of the vehicle therefore consists collectively of the torques of the internal combustion engine and of the electric machine, provided said torques are operatively connected to each other directly or, for example, by means of a transmission. In order to regenerate or, respectively, charge an electrical energy storage of such drive devices, the electric machine is regularly switched into a generator mode; and the negative torque exerted thereby on the drive train is balanced or compensated by an additional positive torque of the internal combustion engine so that the driving operation of the vehicle is not impaired by the charging of the energy storage.